House music wasn't at all bad, and overall, SAW were brilliant. Perhaps it was just a teenage phase you were going through.

What's Steve Penk doing these days? 17 years ago he was very famous.

Agree about "Go (Before You Break My Heart)", one of the greatest singles of all time. Disagree about 1974 in general, thought it was a great year for pop music (although granted not as good as 1973 and 1976) and we had the World Cup (although bad cos England weren't in it and worse cos the Germans won it). And nothing wrong with The Wombles, their Christmas 1974 hit is an all time classic.

Yes, both were as unwelcome as a rash of red pus filled spots across the face and body.

Not sure to be honest, the sold The Rev last year. He was very much a presenter of his time. Piccadilly, Capital and Virgin were great gigs for him. Guess he made his money whilst the sun shined and then got out.

All I'll say is 3 No 1's for Jive Bunny.

Not sure when I'm going to get round to catching up with this week's show, but both charts look pretty good. I do prefer the charts from Sept - Dec from 1983, though.

FWIW - here's my opion re the charts of the 80s
1980 - not bad
1981 - amazing
1982 - brill
1983 - okay
1984 - generally good, but too many long running no. 1s
1985 - Great
1986 - okay
1987 - pretty decent
1988 - fantastic!
1989 - not too good.

Agree with most years except 1987 and 1988 which I didn't like.

I would rather have S A W than some x-factor karaoke singer in the charts .the charts once meant something but it means nothing nowadays, they are to many charts on music tv etc not like the old days of the BBC official radio 1 chart!

What annoys me is when I hear people saying things like "it's at No2 on iTunes chart" as if that means anything whatsoever. For a start that chart is continuously updated every day and it is also nothing more than a sales chart for a particular vested interest company and not independent, yet people seem to hang on it as if it actually has real meaning, which it does not, even if the vast majority of download singles sales come through it. The fact still remains even to this day that there is ONLY ONE OFFICIAL and proper UK singles chart in this country that counts as the absolute gospel fact and that is the one published by the Official Charts Company as broadcast on Radio 1, whether you like it or not, or think it counts for very little nowadays.

To Clare and her listing of 80's years I have to say it was confusing to me. Is a "fantastic" year like 1988 better than an "amazing" year like 1981 or vice versa?

Lol - pretty even. I'd say, and I know you would too, that 1981 tops 1988 if you're just talking the singles in the chart, but with 1988 I have more connection with the charts as I was listening regularly then and buying records.

If I was to give each year a school grade I'd do this;

1980 - A+
1981 - A*
1982 - A*
1983 - A
1984 - A-
1985 - B
1986 - C-
1987 - D
1988 - E
1989 - D

I have listened to the show since it started yonks ago but am getting increasingly annoyed by the constant trailers for other shows interuppting the music and Tony keeps talking over the intros and cutting the records off at the end while they are still playing.

Also he skips at least half a dozen records (usually the best ones) each week but seems to have plenty of time to chat and play adverts and jingles when the show is supposed to be all about the music surely?

Bring back Dale Winton I say!

I am a big fan of Tony's for years now going back to his Radio 1 shows I am 55 and grew up with Tony on Radio 1 , it would be good if the Format was changed and he presented the show like when he did it first time 0n radio 1 on a Sunday .

Have the Original countdown jingles ( no 20 down to no1) the hot forties countdown music he used to use, then play the songs almost right through from the start to the finish,it might freshen things up,

PS even extending the show by an extra hour would be great!! or Sensational as Tony use to say back on the good 247 days!

I fully agree that the trailers on POTP are hugely intrusive now and greatly annoying and completely un-necessary on this particular show. It almost feels like commercial radio with all the stop and starts each hour. I pay no attention to the trails and just glaze over until the actual show comes back. Also the overly long travel news that appears just after the 2pm news each week, is that really needed at that time on Saturday afternoon? It almost takes the time another whole record would play for, and the travel woman seems to think she is some kind of radio personality too.

At least get rid of the damned insufferable trailers during POTP! It seriously spoils the enjoyment and flow of POTP. Tony have a word in the ear of the person responsible.

I have said it numerous times but often get leaped on when I say it. I actually quite like Tony on other shows especially on Soul shows but I preferred Dale Winton on Pick of the Pops. I don't like how the show has got more restricted in the years it covers since he has take over. Also I can't stand the pure bias he shows in not playing certain songs and if he can't get out of playing these songs he can't resist having a moan about a song he doesn't like.

The Ride On Time track was nothing more of a complete rip off of the track "Love Sensation" by Loleatta Holloway anyway. They had a cheek to pretend it was being sung by some skinny Italian woman who couldn't even speak a word of English.

I agree. Tony Blackburn doesn't like Punk and I was really annoyed when he played a chart from 1979 and didn't play 'Babylon's Burning' but played 'Chuck E's In Love' which was the only record in that chart I hated.

I don't listen to any chart 1987-94.

I have to say I agree with a lot of what you are saying. I know Alan Freeman "was" POTP, and whoever took over had big shoes to fill, but I think Dale has had an unfair rap. He did what he was required to do on a chart show, introduce the songs, giving chart positions and a bit of info. I don't know what else people expect.

I was surprised Tony took the POTP gig because I'm sure he's said how restrictive he found doing the chart show. I think he's much better suited to other shows he does where he can let his personality shine through and interact with the audience. Trying to do that on POTP means that there is less music played, records cut short, etc.

The issue of songs is an interesting one. It's easy to say he doesn't play punk, for example, because he doesn't like it, but I expect they have a remit with the show to only play radio 2 friendly songs. The thing that really annoys me is when you know records are skipped because they haven't got them in playout system, or they play re-recording instead. As far as I'm concerned, the biggest radio broadcaster in the country should have at least every top 40 single, in their original format.

Good post The BBC used to boast on Radio 1 in the Seventies it had the biggest record library in the world on a voice over with " Yesterday once more " playing underneath the voice over. The beeb did have the biggest Gramaphone library in the world, they had every record ever made LPS, SINGLES , 12INCH ,etc.

I do not know why the did not transfer their records on to cd format so they could transfer it on to their playout systems I wonder what they did with their massive record library?? Then they would have original recordings instead of missing out or playing re-recordings

I think the problem is that the production of POTP along with many other shows has been outsourced. This was as a result of government a directive in the 1990s. I read somewhere that although the BBC had a copy of every 78, 45 and 33 rpm record ever issued many of these were disposed of. On several occasions in the past Brian Matthew on Sounds of the Sixties has had to apologise because they had been unable to locate a listener request. Unique who produce the show do not even consult the extensive BBC document archive for the charts. I have it on good authority that they use The Virgin Top 40 book which contains many errors. A relatively small organisation like Unique simply does not have the human resource to research properly.

Here is a link to an interesting article. It explains where at least some of the music comes from.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/f...tatus-quo.html

Thanks for the link David a very good read indeed !

Guess you won't be happy Clare with the Modern Romance version played this week then, taken from a compilation of their greatest hits re-recorded called Back On Track. I agree that their is no excuse to play anything other than the original version on a dedicated show like this, particularly in this case where a Modern Romance CD of original versions has been readily available since 2006.

Tony is now on Radio 2 this afternoon playing a track from every year of his broadcasting career from 1964 to the present day that he likes or has a story attached to it. At 1971 he played Diana Ross, I'm Still Waiting which is widely known to have been a hit due to his efforts and playing at the time which sent it to No1 for 4 weeks, but he made a gross error in saying that it not only made No1 in the UK but also in the USA which is simply incorrect and surely he would know this basic fact about a track that he holds dear to his heart. The song only made No63 on the American Billboard Hot 100.

On this wet Bank Holiday he has played 2 tracks from 1972 and 1974 with "rain" in the title, Walking In The Rain With The One I Love by Love Unlimited Orchestra and Laughter In The Rain by Neil Sedaka. Both fine tracks I wouldn't argue with. It will be rather more interesting to see what he picks as we get into more recent years.

He's already played 2 women who succumbed tragically young to brain tumours, 1969's Onion Song with Tammi Terrell and We Do It by R & J Stone, of whom Joanne Stone the lady vocal passed away shortly after that 1976 hit. My own father did the same far too young also.

Yeah, I'd heard about that. There are groups you can guarantee will be rerecordings - Nolans later hits, Bucks Fizz later hits, Chas and Dave. While this happens regularly on other retro chart shows, and I'm just about prepared to let it pass. I shouldn't on radio 2.

When I heard The Kids From Fame song hadn't been played, I did a little checking of the recordings of POTP I've got of featuring the same chart and, surprise, surprise, it wasn't played on any of them. I stand to be corrected, but this leads me to believe it is not in the playout system.